


Painful Acceptance

by enchantkarl



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, i guess, no beta we die like tommy, slight reference to violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enchantkarl/pseuds/enchantkarl
Summary: A noise escaped his mouth as his eyes were glued to his pale, transparent body. It wasn't overly abnormal at first glance — the color hadn't fully gone and the transparency was so unnoticeable that it took even him multiple seconds to recognize the issue — but he started to panic as it set in. Tommy had seen this only once before.-Tommy reunites with his brother and is forced to accept his cruel, new reality.
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 2
Kudos: 62
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	Painful Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time posting on here so hopefully it's not too bad (: it's pretty short but i didn't wanna post anything super long while i'm still figuring things out!

Tommy noticed the lights first.

He'd been in the prison over a week and he was far too used to the soft orange glow of the lava and the single glowstone in the corner. Even through his closed eyelids, this light looked natural, felt natural — like the feeling of sunlight cascading over pale skin.

When he finally opened his eyes, however, it was anything but natural. There was no light source apparent to the boy, yet light rested evenly along the ground. Tommy noticed, still curled on the ground, that he was no longer in the small, claustrophobic, obsidian room. He certainly wasn't complaining, but his concerns started to rise when he realized that he didn't recognize the place.

Tommy pushed himself to his feet with no trouble at all, despite having had nothing but raw potatoes for multiple days, which hardly gave him the strength he needed.

No words could describe what he saw as his eyes scanned the area, no matter how desperately his brain tried to summon an explanation. It seemed so empty, so bland, yet so overwhelming at the same time. He mumbled something under his breath and looked down at his feet.

A noise escaped his mouth as his eyes were glued to his pale, transparent body. It wasn't overly abnormal at first glance — the color hadn't fully gone and the transparency was so unnoticeable that it took even him multiple seconds to recognize the issue — but he started to panic as it set in. Tommy had seen this only once before.

He racked his brain to remember the apparitional version of his older brother, who he hadn't seen in what seemed like months. Their features seemed to add up — the lack of color, the transparency, even his movement — and a quiet sob left his lips at the realization.

Standing up straight and taking a deep breath, he tried reassuring himself that it was only a dream, an illusion set in place by his cruel mind. He took a few shaky steps forward while he regained his composure.

That composure was torn down before he could realize what was happening.

A soft voice rang from behind him, "Tommy?" The man struggled to speak again. "You're really… really here…"

Tommy felt a tear slide down his face before he turned around to meet the lifeless eyes of his older brother. 

Wilbur took a few steps forward, looking down at him with an expression Tommy couldn't pinpoint. He went on speaking, "I saw what Dream did to you, I just had to sit there and watch, but… I didn't want to believe he really finished you off."

The younger boy could only shake his head for nearly a minute, tears blurring his vision. "What do you mean? What did Dream do? Why am I not in the prison still? What is this?"

"Tommy, Tommy," he hushed him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "just listen. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was arguing with Dream about something… about the book! The book that explains how to revive you," Wilbur's eyebrows furrowed at this. "We were shoving each other and– and hitting each other, we were both so mad. But he just kept hit–" his voice cracked, "hitting me and I… I don't remember anything after that."

"He killed you, Tommy. The motherfucker beat you to death."

"No, I'm not– I'm not dead, Wilbur. I'm not. This is just some fucked up dream, and I'll wake up soon in the prison. I'll wake up and Sam will let me out and I'll go back to my hotel and–"

"You're dead. I saw it happen, Tommy."

"I'm  _ not.  _ I'm not."

"You know this is real. You know it, and it's no good lying to yourself." 

A sob finally wracked his body and he held his head in his shaky hands. His breathing became harder and harder to control and he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. "I want to– I want to go back, Wilbur,  _ please. _ I need to see Tubbo." He let out another loud sob at the name. " _ Tubbo–  _ I never got to say goodbye to my best friend. And my hotel, I just opened a hotel, everything was going so well after we locked Dream up. This isn't fair, Wil."

Wilbur's voice dropped to a near whisper as he sighed and rubbed his back comfortingly. "It's not all bad here, really. I mean, at least we get to hang out again. I was kind of a dick before I died, wasn't I?" He forced out a chuckle, trying to distract his little brother. "It's more peaceful here, there's nothing else to worry about."

"Can't I go back?"

"I'm sorry, Tommy."

"How did you? What about Ghostbur? You came and talked to us after you died."

"That was hardly me. It takes away a part of you that isn't worth losing out there. You feel more empty and lonely than you do here, even with seeing other people. After Dream fucked up L'manburg again, I just decided I was tired of it, and I'm here now. I'm not going back, at least for a while."

"I don't give a shit, I want to go talk to my friends. I want to see Sam Nook."

Wilbur hummed. "No, Tommy."

Tommy pushed away from him and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "What? Are you gonna stop me?"

There was a way to bring him back temporarily, but not physically. Wilbur was worried that Tommy would get too attached, get upset that no one would listen no matter how hard he tried.

His brother stepped back and looked at him with thought. "Do you trust me?"

"No."

"Okay, I don't give a shit, grab hold of my arm. I have to show you something."

Reluctantly, Tommy reached out and was instantly hit with a wave of nausea, his vision going blurry. Within seconds, however, everything was back to normal as if it had never happened, and he stood in the newly built community house.

"What the  _ fuck  _ was that?"

"We're back here for a little, but we can't stay long. Nobody can hear or see us. I'm just letting you say goodbye I suppose."

Tommy didn't hesitate to separate from Wilbur, practically sprinting down the Prime Path in search of his friend. It wouldn't be the same knowing that he wasn't  _ really  _ there, but he took anything he could.

Passing his home in the small dirt hill that had kept him safe since the beginning of his time here, he was fully hit with the realization that it was really over. All he had worked for, all he had sacrificed for the discs and for L'manburg was for nothing. As soon as he was at peace, it all ended. All for nothing.

His footsteps stuttered with the consideration of visiting home. He couldn't though—not enough time. Never enough time. Tommy took a deep breath as he continued his journey down the path, Wilbur following from a distance.

His head turns at the sound of a familiar voice after nearing the prison.

"...don't think he's really dead. I mean, he can't be."

The small boy earns a nod from the person beside him. "I don't think so either."

"What if he is?"

The taller only hummed.

Tommy searched for any sign of emotion on Tubbo's face but found nothing indicating the sorrow he should have been feeling. He moved on from the topic and fell into light conversation with Ranboo, Tommy following helplessly behind. 

"They don't care," he uttered, mostly to himself, the smile dropping from his face. "They don't care to even find out whether or not I'm gone." He finally turns to Wilbur. "I want to go back."

"What? We just got here. Don't you want to see Sam? Or your hotel?"

"Doesn't matter." 

He thought about the long list of people who hated him, wanted him gone, compared to the handful of people who didn't mind him being around. Who  _ actually  _ wanted him around? Sam? Puffy? He couldn't even count on Tubbo anymore. 

"Nobody wanted me here,” Tommy continued, “I just created problems. I should've realized this before, stupid of me not to. We're leaving."

He shook his head. "Come on, let's go see someone else. Sapnap maybe? Eret? Fundy? You were friends with them, were you not?"

"I don't care about seeing them. If my best friend doesn't care, why would they?"

"Tubbo's in denial, Tommy. He's expecting you to show up soon to drag him around and make him do something stupid. He doesn't think you're dead."

Tommy hummed defeatedly. "M'kay. Just take me wherever."

Taking him to the bench, walking him through the remains of L'manburg, keeping him around the prison — none of those would do him any good. 

So, he took him away, far away from everything that held those painful memories. They stumbled upon a library, a new settlement that they gathered to be the start of Kinoko Kingdom.

"What a shit name," Tommy scoffed.

"Be nice, Sapnap's here. Callahan too, I see them from here."

Tommy was in no rush but made his way over to the pair, where Callahan was listening and making comforting gestures as Sapnap choked out his words.

"I didn't like him that much for a while," Sapnap spoke, "but it was us two in the beginning and in the end. He brought back Mars and finally got me to snap out of my senseless accordance with Dream. Dream was corrupting me and Tommy dragged me out of it without hesitation." Callahan gave a few nods and peered at him sadly. Tommy stepped forward now, listening with interest. "I'm just… overwhelmed, I guess. I mean, Dream did some messed-up shit, but I didn't think he would actually do it to him. To a  _ kid. _ And to think I was his best friend for so long. I hope he rots in that godforsaken prison, or I'll take his last life myself."

The four were encased by a sudden silence for a few moments, everyone too deep in thought to speak.

Wilbur spoke first. "See? Even he misses you and he hardly talked to you."

Tommy nodded. "You think Sam will care?"

"I've seen the way he treated you, I know he will. But I also have a bad feeling that he'll blame himself for what happened, and that worries me."

"He's tough, he can handle himself. I just needed to know, you know… if he'd miss me." Tommy looked back up at Sapnap and then over at Wilbur. "Let's leave now. I don't think I really want to visit him. I don't want to know what else I'm missing out on."

Wilbur nodded and looked at him with somber eyes. He didn't treat him the way he should have when he was alive, no matter how annoying he was. He should have been more tolerant, should've been there for his brother when he needed him most. Having watched all of what Tommy endured in his short life, he wanted to do better, even if it didn't do much now.

Nothing he could say or do would change Tommy's mind. The only thing he could do now was comfort him. After all the poor kid had gone through, he deserved a peaceful end.

"Let's go home."

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the end seemed a little rushed, i was honestly just out of ideas and i didn't like where i took it but i didn't wanna start over - thanks for reading!


End file.
